【英语时差8，16】细菌能

 Ya?l: Welcome to another episode of Lunch with Don and Ya?l. So, Don, what are you eating today?

Don: Nothing.

Y: Nothing!?! Are you on a diet or something?

D: Not by choice. To be honest, I'm trying to save money by buying less food.

Y: Why?

D: Because I'm spending all my money on putting gas in my car and heating my home. The other day I filled up my tank and spent over fifty bucks¹! And you don't even want to know how high my heating bills have been.

Y: I hear you. We're all in the same boat. But check this out: scientists at Arizona State University are working on a fuel cell that uses bacteria to produce energy from waste material like sewage or pig manure².

D: You mean they can generate energy from garbage? Sounds like science fiction.

Y: I know, but this is for real. It's kinda technical, but the basic idea is that bacteria are good at breaking down almost any kind of organic waste. They eat stuff like sewage and manure, essentially³. And when they do, the waste material releases electrons. The so-called "microbial fuel cell" uses the freed electrons to generate electricity.

D: That sounds great. So where can I get one?

Y: Nowhere, yet. Microbial fuel cells are still in the early prototype stage. But one day they could make a huge difference. The researchers think that in time, the cells could produce around twenty-five percent of the world's energy demand and help reduce our use of fossil fuels.

D: But meanwhile, I'm starving.

Y: Wanna share my lunch?

D: That depends . . . what do you have?   

1 bucks   

n.雄鹿( buck的名词复数 )；钱；（英国十九世纪初的）花花公子；（用于某些表达方式）责任v.（马等）猛然弓背跃起( buck的第三人称单数 )；抵制；猛然震荡；马等尥起后蹄跳跃

参考例句：

• They cost ten bucks. 这些值十元钱。
• They are hunting for bucks. 他们正在猎雄兔。 来自《简明英汉词典》

2 manure   

n.粪，肥，肥粒；vt.施肥

参考例句：

• The farmers were distributing manure over the field.农民们正在田间施肥。
• The farmers used manure to keep up the fertility of their land.农夫们用粪保持其土质的肥沃。

3 essentially   

adv.本质上，实质上，基本上

参考例句：

• Really great men are essentially modest.真正的伟人大都很谦虚。
• She is an essentially selfish person.她本质上是个自私自利的人。